Quantifying the contribution of methane diffusion and ebullition from agricultural ditches.

Agricultural ditches are significant methane (CH4) sources since substantial nutrient inputs stimulate CH4 production and emission. However, few studies have quantified the role of diffusion and ebullition pathways in total CH4 emission from agricultural ditches. This study measured the spatiotemporal variations of diffusive and ebullitive CH4 fluxes from a multi-level ditch system in a typical temperate agriculture area, and assessed their contributions to the total CH4 emission. Results illustrated that the mean annual CH4 flux in the ditch system reached 1475.1 mg m-2 d-1, among which 1376.7 mg m-2 d-1 was emitted via diffusion and 98.5 mg m-2 d-1 via ebullition. Both diffusive and ebullitive fluxes varied significantly across different types of ditches and seasons, with diffusion dominating CH4 emission in middle-size ditches and ebullition dominating in large-size ditches. Diffusion was primarily driven by large nutrient inputs from adjacent farmlands, while hydrological factors like water temperature and depth controlled ebullition. Overall, CH4 emission accounted for 86 % of the global warming potential across the ditch system, with 81 % attributed to diffusion and 5 % to ebullition. This study highlights the importance of agricultural ditches as hotspots for CH4 emissions, particularly the dominant role of the diffusion pathway.

Identification of Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria and Assessment of Their Potential Value for the Production of Bioethanol from Coconut Oil Cake Waste.

Bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass is a highly promising alternative to rapidly reduce reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the use of lignocellulosic biomass is limited by the challenges of efficient degradation strategies. Given this need, Bacillus tropicus (B. tropicus) with cellulose degradation ability was isolated and screened from rotten dahlia. The strain efficiently utilized coconut oil cake (COC) to secrete 167.3 U/mL of cellulase activity. Electron microscopy results showed significant changes in the structure and properties of cellulose after treatment with B. tropicus, which increased the surface accessibility and the efficiency of the hydrolysis process. The functional group modification observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the successful depolymerization of COC. The X-ray diffraction pattern showed that the crystallinity index increased from 44.8% to 48.2% due to the hydrolysis of the amorphous region in COC. The results of colorimetry also reveal an efficient hydrolysis process. A co-culture of B. tropicus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to produce ethanol from COC waste, and the maximum ethanol yield was 4.2 g/L. The results of this work show that B. tropicus can be used to prepare biotechnology value-added products such as biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass, suggesting promising utility in biotechnology applications.

Influence of the Emulsifier Sodium Caseinate-Xanthan Gum Complex on Emulsions: Stability and Digestive Properties.

In this study, virgin coconut oil (VCO) nanoemulsions were prepared by ultrasonication using a sodium caseinate (SC) and xanthan gum (XG) complex as an emulsifier. The stability and digestion characteristics of SC/XG-VCO emulsions formed by co-adsorption and SC-VCO-XG emulsions formed by layer adsorption were compared. The stability of the two emulsions was studied under different pH, ionic strength, heat treatment, freeze-thaw cycles, and storage conditions, and the droplet size and zeta potential were used as indicators to assess the stability. In addition, the stability of oxidation and the digestive properties of both emulsions were studied. It was found that the SC-VCO-XG emulsions had better environmental stability, oxidative stability, storage stability, and digestibility compared to SC/XG-VCO emulsions. This study has shown that the formation method of protein-polysaccharide stabilized emulsions has an impact on the stability and digestibility properties of the emulsions, and that the emulsion carriers constructed by layer adsorption are more suitable for subsequent industrial production and development.

Screening of cellulose-degrading yeast and evaluation of its potential for degradation of coconut oil cake.

Coconut oil cake (COC), a byproduct of oil extraction, contains high levels of cellulose. The aim of this study was to isolate a cellulose-degrading yeast from rotten dahlia that can effectively use COC as the only carbon source for cellulase secretion. Based on screening, Meyerozyma guillermondii CBS 2030 (M. guillermondii) was identified as a potential candidate, with the highest cellulolytic activity among the yeast strains isolated, with the carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activity reaching 102.96 U/mL on day 5. The cellulose in COC samples was evaluated before and after degradation by M. guillermondii. Analysis based on field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that the COC structure was changed significantly during the treatment, indicating effective hydrolysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the modified functional groups indicated successful depolymerization of coconut cake. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and analysis of color differences established effective degradation of COC by M. guillermondii. The results demonstrate that M. guillermondii effectively secretes CMCase and degrades cellulose, which has important practical significance in COC degradation.

Polypeptide-based drug delivery systems for programmed release.

Recent years have seen increasing interests in the use of ring-opening polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) to prepare synthetic polypeptides, a class of biocompatible and versatile materials, for various biomedical applications. Because of their rich side-chain functionalities, diverse hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity profiles, and the capability of forming stable secondary structures, polypeptides can assemble into a variety of well-organized nano-structures that have unique advantages in drug delivery and controlled release. Herein, we review the design and use of polypeptide-based drug delivery system derived from NCA chemistry, and discuss the future perspectives of this exciting and important biomaterial area that may potentially change the landscape of next-generation therapeutics and diagnosis. Given the high significance of precise control over release for polypeptide-based systems, we specifically focus on the versatile designs of drug delivery systems capable of programmed release, through the changes in the chemical and physical properties controlled by the built-in molecular structures of polypeptides.

Open-air synthesis of oligo(ethylene glycol)-functionalized polypeptides from non-purified N-carboxyanhydrides.

With PEG-like properties, such as hydrophilicity and stealth effect against protein absorption, oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG)-functionalized polypeptides have emerged as a new class of biomaterials alternative to PEG with polypeptide-like properties. Synthesis of this class of materials, however, has been demonstrated very challenging, as the synthesis and purification of OEG-functionalized N-carboxyanhydrides (OEG-NCAs) in high purity, which is critical for the success in polymerization, is tedious and often results in low yield. OEG-functionalized polypeptides are therefore only accessible to a few limited labs with expertise in this specialized NCA chemistry and materials. Here, we report the controlled synthesis of OEG-functionalized polypeptides in high yield directly from the OEG-functionalized amino acids via easy and reproducible polymerization of non-purified OEG-NCAs. The prepared amphiphilic block copolypeptides can self-assemble into narrowly dispersed nanoparticles in water, which show properties suitable for drug delivery applications.

"Metaphilic" Cell-Penetrating Polypeptide-Vancomycin Conjugate Efficiently Eradicates Intracellular Bacteria via a Dual Mechanism.

Infections by intracellular pathogens are difficult to treat because of the poor accessibility of antibiotics to the pathogens encased by host cell membranes. As such, a strategy that can improve the membrane permeability of antibiotics would significantly increase their efficiency against the intracellular pathogens. Here, we report the design of an adaptive, metaphilic cell-penetrating polypeptide (CPP)-antibiotic conjugate (VPP-G) that can effectively eradicate the intracellular bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. VPP-G was synthesized by attaching vancomycin to a highly membrane-penetrative guanidinium-functionalized metaphilic CPP. VPP-G effectively kills not only extracellular but also far more challenging intracellular pathogens, such as S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. VPP-G enters the host cell via a unique metaphilic membrane penetration mechanism and kills intracellular bacteria through disruption of both cell wall biosynthesis and membrane integrity. This dual antimicrobial mechanism of VPP-G prevents bacteria from developing drug resistance and could also potentially kill dormant intracellular bacteria. VPP-G effectively eradicates MRSA in vivo, significantly outperforming vancomycin, which represents one of the most effective intracellular antibacterial agents reported so far. This strategy can be easily adapted to develop other conjugates against different intracellular pathogens by attaching different antibiotics to these highly membrane-penetrative metaphilic CPPs.

Targeted Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia Guided by Wavefront Discontinuities During Sinus Rhythm: A New Functional Substrate Mapping Strategy.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and expedited identification of scar regions most prone to reentry is needed to guide ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation. We aimed to prospectively assess outcomes of VT ablation guided primarily by the targeting of deceleration zones (DZ) identified by propagational analysis of ventricular activation during sinus rhythm. METHODS: Patients with scar-related VT were prospectively enrolled in the University of Chicago VT Ablation Registry between 2016 and 2018. Isochronal late activation maps annotated to the latest local electrogram deflection were created with high-density multielectrode mapping catheters. Targeted ablation of DZ (>3 isochrones within 1cm radius) was performed, prioritizing later activated regions with maximal isochronal crowding. When possible, activation mapping of VT was performed, and successful ablation sites were compared with DZ locations for mechanistic correlation. Patients were prospectively followed for VT recurrence and mortality. RESULTS: One hundred twenty patients (median age 65 years [59-71], 15% female, 50% nonischemic, median ejection fraction 31%) underwent 144 ablation procedures for scar-related VT. 57% of patients had previous ablation and epicardial access was employed in 59% of cases. High-density mapping during baseline rhythm was performed (2518 points [1615-3752] endocardial, 5049±2580 points epicardial) and identified an average of 2±1 DZ, which colocalized to successful termination sites in 95% of cases. The median total radiofrequency application duration was 29 min (21-38 min) to target DZ, representing ablation of 18% of the low-voltage area. At 12±10 months, 70% freedom from VT recurrence (80% in ischemic cardiomyopathy and 63% in nonischemic cardiomyopathy) was achieved. The overall survival rate was 87%. CONCLUSIONS: A novel voltage-independent high-density mapping display can identify the functional substrate for VT during sinus rhythm and guide targeted ablation, obviating the need for extensive radiofrequency delivery. Regions with isochronal crowding during the baseline rhythm were predictive of VT termination sites, providing mechanistic evidence that deceleration zones are highly arrhythmogenic, functioning as niduses for reentry.

Facile synthesis of helical multiblock copolypeptides: minimal side reactions with accelerated polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides.

Multiblock copolypeptides have attracted broad interests because their potential to form ordered structures and possess protein-mimetic functions. Controlled synthesis of multiblock copolypeptides through the sequential addition of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), especially with the block number higher than five, however, is challenging and rarely reported due to competing side reactions during the polymerization process. Herein we report the unprecedented synthesis of block copolypeptides with up to 20 blocks, enabled by ultrafast polypeptide chain propagation in a water/chloroform emulsion system that outpaces side reactions and ensures high end-group fidelity. Well-defined multiblock copolypeptides with desired block numbers, block lengths, and block sequences as well as very low dispersity were readily attainable in a few hours. This method paves the way for the fast production of a large number of sequence-regulated multiblock copolypeptide materials, which may exhibit interesting assembly behaviors and biomedical applications.